MOSCOW, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to visit Russia from Saturday to Monday at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

"At the invitation of the Russian president, the head of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, will pay a working visit to Russia on Dec. 20-22, 2008," the presidential press service said.

It was reported earlier that U.S. President George W. Bush will meet Abbas in Washington on Friday to discuss the status of Middle East peace efforts since Israeli-Palestinian talks were relaunched at a conference in Annapolis, Maryland in November 2007.